Bangladesh on edge after killing of 2024 uprising activist triggers unrest

Security forces fan out nationwide after violent demonstrations follow the shooting of an election candidate.

Bangladesh’s security forces have moved onto the streets of the capital, Dhaka, and other major cities after overnight violence erupted over the death of a prominent youth leader of the 2024 uprising, raising fears of further unrest ahead of February’s national elections.

Police and paramilitary units increased patrols across Dhaka after protests turned violent late on Thursday, targeting media offices, political buildings and cultural institutions. While streets were largely calm on Friday morning, residents said tensions remained high, particularly before Friday prayers.

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The unrest followed the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a 32-year-old spokesperson for Inquilab Mancha, or Platform for Revolution, who had planned to contest the upcoming election. Masked attackers shot Hadi in the head last Friday in Dhaka as he launched his campaign.

He was first treated at a local hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced care, where he died after six days on life support.

Hadi was a leading figure in last year’s student-led uprising that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country. Inquilab Mancha describes itself as a “revolutionary cultural platform inspired by the spirit of uprising,” while Hadi was also known for his outspoken criticism of India.

On Thursday night, protesters vandalised the offices of Bangladesh’s largest daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, and the English-language Daily Star. Firefighters later brought a blaze at The Daily Star under control, rescuing journalists trapped inside as troops secured the area.

Protesters chanted slogans invoking Hadi’s name, pledging to continue demonstrations and demanding swift justice. Several neighbourhoods remained tense as authorities deployed additional forces to deter further violence.

Government faces mounting pressure

Bangladesh has been run by an interim administration led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, after longtime leader Hasina was ousted and fled to India amid mass protests.

The government faces mounting pressure over delayed reforms, while Hasina’s Awami League has been barred from participating in the February 12 election.

In a televised address after Hadi’s death, Yunus said: “His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere.” He urged calm, pledging a transparent investigation and warning that violence could jeopardise the credibility of the vote.

The interim government declared Saturday a day of state mourning, ordering flags flown at half-mast and organising special prayers nationwide.

Hasina’s violent legacy lingers

Elsewhere, protesters torched the home of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first president and Hasina’s assassinated father, which had already been attacked twice last year. In Rajshahi, demonstrators bulldozed an Awami League office, while highways were blocked in several districts.

Violence also spread to Chittagong, where protesters attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission, as anti-India sentiment continues to grow since Hasina’s flight to New Delhi.

In November, Hasina was sentenced to death by hanging after she was found guilty of crimes against humanity for ordering a deadly crackdown against a student-led uprising last year that eventually ousted her.

Hasina fled Bangladesh by helicopter on August 5, 2024, after weeks of student-led protests against her “autocratic rule”.

Shaina Begum, the mother of 20-year-old student Sajjat Hosen Sojal, who was shot and whose body was burned by the police hours before the student-led uprising forced Hasina to resign and flee the country, told Al Jazeera after the verdict, “I cannot be calm until she [Hasina] is brought back and hanged in this country.”

Hundreds of families who lost loved ones in the protests wonder if the deposed prime minister will ever face justice.